1. Scope of Invention
This invention generally relates to electrolytic cells, and more particularly to an improved electrolytic cell for electrolysis of water and the production of useful amounts of heat.
2. Prior Art
The present invention utilizes and improves upon microspheres formed of non-metallic beads which are plated with a uniformly thick coating of palladium. These palladium coated microspheres are taught in my previous U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,943,355 ('355) and 5,036,031 ('031). In these above-recited previous patents, cross linked polymer microspheres having a plating of palladium are taught to exhibit improvements in the absorption of hydrogen and isotopes of hydrogen. Utilizing these catalytic microspheres led to my later U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,318,675 ('675) and 5,372,688 ('688) (incorporated herein by reference) which teach an electrolytic cell and system for, inter alia, producing heat
The use of a palladium sheet to form one electrode within an electrolytic cell to produce excess heat, the electrolytic cell being a Pons-Fleischmann-type is taught by Edmund Storms. The description of the Storms electrolytic cell and his experimental performance results are described in an article entitled Measurements of Excess Heat from a Pons-Fleischmann-Type Electrolytic Cell Using Palladium Sheet appearing in Fusion Technology, Volume 3, March 1993. In a previous article, Storms reviewed experimental observations about electrolytic cells for producing heat in an article entitled "Review of Experimental Observations About the Cold Fusion Effect" FUSION TECHNOLOGY, Vol. 20, December 1991.
None of the previously reported experimental results or other prior art devices known to applicant other than my U.S. '675 and '688 patents have utilized or disclosed non-conductive copolymeric beads of palladium coated (or any substitute metal which will form "metallic hydrides" in the presence of hydrogen) conductive microspheres within an electrolytic cell for the production of heat and the electrolysis of water into its hydrogen and oxygen components. The present invention discloses the use of the '355 and '031 microspheres and various improved embodiments of preferably palladium/nickel coated microspheres within an improved electrolytic cell in conjunction with an electrolytic media containing either water or heavy water, particularly deuterium. These improved microspheres are the subject of my co-pending U.S. application entitled "Improved Uniformly Plated Microsphere Catalyst, Ser. No. 08/462,005, filed Jun. 5, 1995 ("co-pending U.S. application"). The improved electrolytic cell utilizes a plurality of subcells within one housing arranged in series to each subcell contributes to increased efficiency of the next-in-line subcell.